The recent hearings on Pitt’s 10-year Master Plan could have been
a defining moment for this Council in which you could have displayed
tremendous courage by requiring Pitt to produce an honest, comprehensive
Impact Statement before it could proceed with any actions.

I had hoped to be here today to express deepest gratitude for a Council
that exhibited that courage to protect our community. Instead, a defining
moment turned into a shameful and pitiful moment. No pun intended.

Only four members of this Council were present at the first hearing.
For those of you not present, there were only two questions asked of
the testifying Pitt administrator. The first question to him was: “On
your map, where is Schenley High School?” The second question: “Where
is the Board of Education?” There were no other questions.

The second hearing lasted only 57 seconds. The Pitt administration was
so confident that it would get whatever it wanted that they provided
no testimony. We know that the Pitt Chancellor had a private meeting
with one member of this Council and we wonder how many more private meetings
there were on this issue.

Your approval of that Master Plan has had a twofold effect: 1) It further
alienated good people in our community from coming before this Council
on major issues involving Pitt because they believe it is a done deal
in favor of the University, and 2) It has emboldened the University administrators
into believing they can do whatever they want in our community. They
now feel they can expand to an additional 4,000 students in our community,
not just the 155 students they told you about in those hearings.

Let’s move on. All of you have information concerning Pitt’s
Homecoming Week Fireworks display. The igniting of those firebombs originates
from Mazeroski Field which is adjacent to a city owned tree-filled hillside
and within 100 yards of neighborhood homes. If your own family lived
in that neighborhood, each of you would be outraged that anyone would
be granted permission to do so, and you would take immediate action to
protect the safety and health of your family. So far, all of you have
been silent about Pitt’s fireworks display.

Did the Pitt administrator tell us the truth when he said that the Pitt
police took decibel readings last year and those reading were within
the law? Were Pitt’s actions conforming to the zoning laws? Do
we need to change the law or just enforce it?

Some people are curious as to what it is about the University administrators
that seems to instill fear into this Council and dominate it. The people
of South Oakland are significant and they matter. This Council is far
more powerful than the University of Pittsburgh. Take back your power
and have the courage to seek the truth.